Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes (Jun 2024)
Improving Intravenous and Subcutaneous Insulin Overlap During Treatment of Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Quality Improvement Project
Abstract
Objective: To reduce the frequency of insufficient overlap of intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) insulin during the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) as a quality improvement project. Patients and Methods: Rates of insufficient IV and SC insulin overlap (250 mg/dL), rebound DKA, length of hospital stay, and duration of IV insulin therapy were similar before and after intervention. Conclusion: Using quality improvement methodology, the rates of insufficient IV to SC insulin overlap during treatment of DKA in a large tertiary care referral center were measured and reduced through an electronic medical record–based best practice advisory targeting hospital providers.